"You mean you guys didn't tell her where she was?" asked Rainbow Dash, sounding both amazed and a little exasperated.

"To be fair, she hasn't really given us a chance to," Trace pointed out.

I felt a bit sheepish. I was going a bit fast there. Still you'd think they could have told me. "Sorry about that, please refer back to prior comments about my mouth running away with me. I don't like being restrained. I'm trying very hard to be understanding about it since it's obvious you see me as a possible danger," I explained carefully.

And not without reason

What the hell was that? A voice in my head? So now I'm going crazy too? With that surprise it was a few seconds before I realized someone was talking to me.

I rewound my memory a bit. Alex had been thanking me for being so understanding. The sarcasm in his tone was almost light enough to miss.

I was about to unleash snark cannons when something else came into the room. My eyes were tingling like my throat had been earlier, and I heard a gasp from Matt. Part of me noted that the lighting in the room had developed a bluish tinge, and I figured out it had to be coming from my eyes, which explained Matt's reaction. The rest of me focused on the new pony who entered the room.

The first thing I thought when I saw it was it looked like a ponified Xenomorph from the Aliens movies. I could see an overlay that looked like a fairly ordinary unicorn pony, but under that...

Despite what my memory stubbornly insists on telling me, I did not shriek like a B movie scream queen. It didn't happen. I don't care if everyone else remembers the screaming too, and my trying to go back through the wall behind the bed was a strategic maneuver to gain leverage.

The xenopony came all the way into the room, and I saw my bag and a few other items floating into the room with him held in a greenish glow similar to the glow from his horn. Another glow illuminated the door handle, and the door closed behind him. If my sight wasn't deceiving me, he seemed nearly as freaked out as I was.

"Wha-what in the nine hells is that?" I said in voice more high pitched than I'd have liked.

"What do you mean he's just a uni- oh crap, she can see through the illusion," Trace said, confirming for me that the layered image was the result of some kind of illusion.

"Doctor Emerald is a changeling and our dear friend. And I'd appreciate it if that didn't leave this room," Alex said, looking a bit perturbed at my reaction.

A changeling. That explained everything. Oh dear, I'd probably upset him, being able to see through their disguise does that, not to mention my poor reaction. I immediately relaxed and tried to speak in as refined a manner as I could. Changelings liked good manners, at least the ones I knew did.

"My deepest apologies for my outburst good sir. I was unaware the Gentry hunted these lands. I hope that I may offer amends with my oath.

“I swear upon my name and my title as Esquire of the Autumn Court, I shall keep thy confidence safe, and may I be stricken down by the wyrd if I fail in this, " I said after wracking my brain for the proper terms. It occurred to me that he may not be a changeling as I knew the term, but it seemed to fit what I could see. He seemed to calm down a little when I was done.

"Yes. Well, I'd like to examine you if you don't mind. It should be brief given how little I can do while you're chained like that, but I will want to perform a full examination when circumstances permit," said Doctor Emerald though he seemed a bit confused by my oath. I tried to figure out why he sounded so familiar but I couldn't place it.

"Certainly, doctor," I said cautiously.

He set down my bag near Alex and came closer. I made it as easy as I could manage for him to poke and prod where he needed.

"Very well, you seem alert and aware, your vitals are strong, and while I can't say I understand what is going on with your magic or the strange implants in your body, you seem well enough. However I don't have a baseline for a human female to compare your results to," Doctor Emerald said, stepping away from the bed.

"Can we move on with getting some answers? You mentioned starting a war, that the kinda thing you do often?" Matt asked impatiently.

It seemed that this was the day my mouth stopped running things by my brain because I answered, "Only every other week or so. Keeps me from getting bored."

Trace held a hand to his face and spoke in an irritated tone. "Ms. Asher, could you please knock off the games and just answer the question. All we want to do is help and all you're doing is making this process longer, and I thought you wanted out of the chains."

"Fine! I didn't want to start anything, but it was the only way I could see to survive. I knew things the people in power wanted kept quiet, and given that they were literal monsters in most cases, it was a matter of giving the information I had to people who could do something with it. The war just followed as a consequence. I didn't want it, I didn't want any of this. I just wanted to get through college and have a relatively normal life." I noticed I'd started crying during my rant but I was past caring. I'd been pushed to my breaking point a long time ago.

A quick glance showed uncomfortable expressions on every face in the room.

"Guys, different realities have different rules. You all know that. Where she was, those were the rules. If we forget that, we're all criminals and murderers by the local standards," commented Alex. Trace winced at Alex's words.

"I get it. I really do. I look like a sci-fi monster, here to crush all emotion and enslave everyone to the robot overlords. I read the books, watched the movies. The cyborg is the bad guy. You want to protect the ponies from me. But I can't stay chained to a bed forever," I said as I tried to calm down.

"No, but if I have to, having you chained down makes it faster and less painful to put you down... at least for you. I on the other hand will have to live with it," Matt growled.

"That's enough Matt," Alex said gently.

Whatever response I might have given was interrupted by 'Spect and a pony I recognized as Princess Luna teleporting into the room. There were two things about Luna I noticed immediately. First; she was much taller in person than I expected, though some of that may have been my perspective. Second; she had an aura that was at once similar to the Luna I knew, and yet ineffably different. And I wasn't feeling crushed or compelled as I had in prior encounters with such a presence. It wasn't that her presence was any less, but somehow I was insulated against it. Probably a benefit of my transformation, makes sense given I've got part of a god welded to my soul. Nice to have some benefits from being changed like this.

The reaction of the others was equally interesting. Doctor Emerald was nervous, ears flicking back on his illusion, before flicking forward again as he looked downward. Alex had gone rigid and dropped to his knees. Matt gave a terrified squeak before diving through the closed window. I winced. Well at least he had armor on most of his body, but as one who has experienced defenestration, I know broken glass can get everywhere. I gave his exit a 7.5, taking off points for his armor catching on the frame on the way out. Trace and Rainbow Dash seemed least affected, but Rainbow had taken a protective stance near Alex, giving him looks of concern. I may not know that much about pony body language, but I suspected I owed my old roommate five bucks. When I'd watched the cartoon I'd thought she was secretly gay, but it appeared she liked guys, or at least a certain human guy.

Huh, no accounting for taste.

After a moment Trace sighed and grabbed his hat off the chair behind him, "If you'll excuse me, I'll go make sure Matt doesn't hurt himself." He made quick bow to Luna and calmly walked out the door. I saw him a second later bolting by the window. Disturbingly for me, I wasn't facing the window when I saw him.

Rather than explore that new oddity, I looked at Luna, trying to avoid eye contact. "Hello your majesty. Please forgive me for not bowing, curtseying or whatever the protocol is. I seem to be a bit," chained to a goddamn bed, "immobile at the moment." Thank Cupyri for making me learn something of proper manners while I served in the Autumn Court. I at least had some idea of how to address royalty. Though I probably should have waited for her to speak first. And been a bit less of a smartass. At least unlike Queen Calyx she's not insane. I hoped.

"Indeed we would not expect thee to do so given thy current state. We've come at the urging of thy... slave to see thee for ourselves." The distaste she used for the word slave was like a neon sign. This was a test. At least I hoped so. If she had jumped to conclusions already, I was in deep trouble.

I chose my words carefully, "I don't own slaves. I had no part of her being bound to me as such, and were it within my power to release 'Spect from that, I most certainly would," I said, perhaps a bit more harshly than was wise. Slavery is a sore spot for me, I had been under the lash before on a couple of worlds. And being tested by divine beings really gets old too. I was being honest though. I would never want 'Spect to be my slave. If I had my way I'd ship her back to the other Luna, by express mail.

"Well said. And if thou cannot release the moonbeam spirit from her bond, we most certainly can." She bent her head down and whispered something to 'Spect.

"Can I stay with Eleanor, Miss Luna?" 'Spect asked pleadingly.

"What?! No!," was my immediate response.

"Buh-but don't you like me Eleanor? I thought we were fuh-friends?" tears started to come from 'Spect's wide glowing eyes as she gave me a sorrowful look. Complete with quivering lip. Damn her, she knows how to get to me.

I looked to Luna for help, but she just glared back at me. I looked back to 'Spect. She terrified the life out of me on more than one occasion, but she has the most pathetic puppy dog look.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but, fine. You can stay with me. Assuming I get to stay somewhere other than this bed." I told the weeping godling.

"Yay!" 'Spect shouted as she jumped onto the bed and vanished back into the moonsilver mark on my wrist that evidently held her sanctum.

"Somepony want to tell me what the hay that was?" Rainbow Dash asked.

I looked at Luna. She was... chuckling. And I had a sneaking suspicion that I'd been set up. I looked back to Rainbow Dash.

"She's a spirit, a minor god from the world I was on last," I explained.

"And as 'Spect has offered to stand surety for thee, we shall hold thee responsible for her good behaviour. However, we have taken the precaution of relieving her of her 'toys'. She is also enjoined against using her powers without thy permission. And for as long as she remains as she is, she will heed thy instructions. Thou art permitted thy freedom Eleanor Asher, and we welcome thee to Equestria." Luna's horn lit up with blue light as the chains were removed from the bed, and the restraints undone.

I sat up and rubbed my wrists. It felt good to be out of restraints. "Thank you, your highness."

"Call me Luna, Eleanor Asher. If my sister can set aside ceremony so frequently, I could hardly do less," Luna said, giving me a smile.

I noticed she'd dropped the royal we, and the archaic speech. Which meant she was talking that way before... Because I'd started out being formal and a smartass. And she played along with it... Well played Luna, well played.

"Thank you, Eleanor. Incidentally, what manner of god were you thinking would damn a hospital bed?" she asked with a wink.

Great, she can read minds. I hoped it was just thoughts directed to her, and not general mind reading. Then again, if I'd had a powerful stranger dropped into my world I'd probably want to make sure they weren't planning on wreaking havoc. Princess Luna's nod confirmed my reasoning.

"If the Bible was any indication Yahweh has damned stranger things," I told Luna.

"As pleasant as this is, I have things I must return to. Please remind 'Spect about the letter she needs to write to my sister." I raised an eyebrow but she declined to elaborate. "And if you wouldn't mind a suggestion, perhaps you should return with my Paladin to Ponyville. Having other humans around may help you to adapt to life in this world as you see how they've adapted." She turned to leave, then stopped. "Oh, and be forgiving of Alex. He has seen more cruelty than even you might imagine, and yet he still has a kind, forgiving heart."

There was a flash of moonlight and Luna was gone. Alex had a grim expression on his face.

Taking a guess that it was about Luna reading my mind I said, "Beats being questioned by soldiers in some dark room. I probably would have done the same."

Alex nodded and relaxed a little. I noticed that he managed to put himself between me and my bag the moment Luna left, and he was trying to casually shove it back to the corner of the room.

"If you're worried about weapons, there shouldn't be any in there, but I'll be happy to identify anything odd in there so you can be sure." I was feeling a lot better now that I was unchained. I was still sitting on the bed, no sense alarming anyone. I even held my tongue and didn't demand they kneel before their new robot overlord.

"Time enough for that later ma'am, " Alex said.

"Alright, but I want to get a look at myself. I need to see what Autochthon did to me, " I told him.

I moved my legs over the side of the bed. It felt so weird, they were these plainly mechanical things, but they felt like my old flesh and blood legs. I did feel more solid than before, confirmed by the clunking sound when I set my feet on the floor.

Alex turned his back on me while he rubbed the back of his neck. If I didn't know better, it looked like he was blushing. "Dash, could you give her a hoof? I'm not sure it would be totally appropriate for me."

"No worries, I get it. That human nudity thing, right?" Dash looked up at me, with a friendly smile. "Is there anything I can do for you, Eleanor?” She glanced at Alex, “Anything we can do?"

"I should be alright. Whatever I look like, this still feels like my natural body. Which is a level of weird I'm trying not to think about too hard," I replied.

Wrapping the bedsheet around myself, I walked to what looked like the door to a bathroom. Once inside I took off the sheet. I noticed Rainbow Dash looking but Alex was still facing away from me, thankfully. I faced the mirror and got a good look at myself.

To start with my skin was a bit paler than it used to be, but also clearer. Every blemish was cleared away by my transformation though I still had my freckles. Softly glowing blue lines started from the sapphire gem embedded in my forehead. My hair was mostly unchanged, still medium length dirty blonde hair in a messy ponytail. My eyes were clearly artificial with their soft blue glow, but at least I didn't seem to need my contacts anymore, as a quick check showed they were gone. Going down from there my body was more dramatically modified though I was still my somewhat chubby, petite self. My right arm had the blue tracery of the embedded wiring. My other limbs were fully mechanical in appearance with a deep blue glow coming from various points. The same went for my torso from the neck down, white metal with starmetal highlights and small blue lights covered me. Most disturbing were the gaps where I could see inside my new body. To say it was highly unnerving is an understatement.

-El gets a look at herself-

I bit my lip a bit as I continued looking over myself. It wasn't as bad as I'd feared but I was still severely changed. Even if I had the charm that would let me hide this and look normal again, this would be my true shape from now on. I felt myself getting ready to cry again and told myself to stop it.

Once I recovered my composure, I covered myself and stepped back into the main room. Doctor Emerald and Rainbow Dash had left, and given the look Alex was giving me, I figured he must have asked them to step outside so he could say something in private.

"Ma'am, I've got a feeling you've been jumping between worlds for a while," He started.

"About twenty seven years give or take. I couldn't always keep track."

He nodded, "I've been jumping a little over twice as long. And I've been here longer than Matt or Trace. So I'd like to give you some advice."

"Shouldn't I have to climb a mountain or something for that, O ancient and wise one?"

He chuckled a little. "At least what you've been through hasn't cost you your sense of humor. However, I'm being serious here. These are things that'll save you a lot of trouble. Would have saved me some trouble had I known.

“First thing is that you should be careful about what you say around ponies. They aren't used to the kind of violence that we grew up seeing in movies and on TV everyday. Or what you may have witnessed since you started jumping. The second thing is forget whatever you may remember from the show. This is a real world, and it's not the same. Names and such are usually right, but the rest is broad strokes at best and inaccurate to the point of being insulting at worst."

His face lost the smile and became very cold and scary. "Third thing is that you don't hurt anypony. I'll admit I don't know what you are, or what you can do, but if I find out that you've hurt somepony, I will not let it stand. Neither will Trace or Matt. Do we have an understanding?"

Part of my mind bristled at that, and I wanted to ask how dare he presume to threaten me. Fortunately the rest of my mind told me to shut up. "I think we do. I'd never want to hurt anyone anyhow. I didn't always have a choice in the matter, but I try not to get in those situations."

Alex nodded and gave me a hopeful, kindly smile. "So long as we understand each other."

The door opened and a new pony came in. It took a second to realize why she looked familiar; this was the woman I'd remembered from my arrival. Only now I realized my addled mind must have made me think she was human. Her coat was dark blue, her mane was a bright blue, and her eyes were the most vivid electric blue I'd ever seen. On her flank was a white lightning bolt. I realized I was staring and shook my head to clear it. Now I saw more clearly, she looked sorely in need of a brush, her mane was mess and her beautiful eyes were bloodshot. She also smelled of booze, and had grains of salt around her muzzle. I suppose if an alien dropped into my home, I'd need a drink too. Though I'd go for a shot of rum rather than a margarita.

"So you are awake," she said nervously. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks to you." Not that I think I wouldn't have been fine, but she helped me as best she could.

I crouched down so she wouldn't have to look up at me. I noticed Alex had taken my bag out of the room.

"My name is Eleanor Asher. Pleased to meet you. Sorry about landing in your home," I said, holding out a hand.

She put a hoof in my hand, and it took a moment before I remembered we were supposed to be shaking hands.

"I'm Blitzen, and it's ok. Hated the rug anyway," she said looking no less nervous.

Why are we both so nervous? I feel like I did in high school with Beth. Heart racing, palms sweaty, mouth dry. This makes no sense. She's a pony and we don't even know each other, must just be nerves from everything that's happened. That has to be it.

My mind comforted by a rational explanation for my nerves, I tried to think of why she was nervous. The only reason I could come up with was a rather uncomfortable one. She was afraid of me. I was more alien than even the other humans. That made a painful kind of sense. I looked down at the ground so she wouldn't see my expression.

"It looks like I'll be going to Ponyville. Heh. I don't even know where I am now," I said after a moment.

"Fillydelphia," she said, her voice sounding like she was looking down at the floor too.

"Ah... So I guess I won't be seeing you again. At least for a while." I couldn't imagine why I felt like I was losing something important by leaving her behind.

"Actually, I was going to Ponyville. Um, I was wondering if you'd like to stay with me while you're there? I'd like us to be friends," she offered.

"That sounds great. I hadn't even thought about where I was going to stay. And I'd like us to be friends too. You're my first friend here." Given that the people and ponies I'd met so far have mostly been suspicious of me, it felt good to have an open offer of friendship. Even if she was scared of me.

I stood up. "I suppose I shouldn't keep everybody waiting. Time to check out and get the bill for this." Not that I had any way to pay for the hospital stay yet. I hoped they'd let me work it off or do a credit deal or something.

Blitzen nodded and relaxed, walking with me to the door. As she stepped in front of me I noticed two ridges on her back, behind her shoulders. Maybe some kind of congenital deformity? It was odd to think ponies might have such things, but as Alex said this was a real world even if it looked like a cartoon from Earth.

Anyhow, it was time to see more of this world outside a hospital room. I stepped beside Blitzen and opened the door, and Alex was in the hall with Rainbow Dash. Alex had my messenger bag slung over his shoulder. Rainbow shuddered a little as we came out of the room. Guess she's spooked by me too. I'll have to get used to that, I suppose. As long as ponies aren't running away at the sight of me I should be fine.

"Doctor Emerald is getting you signed out to his care. You should probably plan on getting regular checkups for a while. If you're feeling up to it, I'd like to catch the train today so we can be in Ponyville by this afternoon. After we find Trace and Matt, of course, " Alex told me.

"As long as I get out of here, I'm good. I'm not a fan of hospitals," I said as we walked toward the big door at the end of the hall.

Fortunately, we didn't have to hunt down Matt and Trace as they were waiting with Dr Emerald in the waiting area near the exit of the hospital. I could tell this would be fun, being the shortest in this group. Alex had about six inches on me, Matt was an inch or two taller, and Trace was a good foot taller than me. Still, with the ponies around, my height difference probably wouldn't be much of an issue.

When he saw me, Trace took off his long coat and held it out to me. "Here Miss Asher, this will serve better than a bedsheet. Besides, I'm sure the hospital would like their sheet back."

I gave him a grateful look and put on the coat, pulling the sheet out from under it. "Thank you. I'd have asked for my spare clothes from my bag, but they wouldn't fit any more."

"So we're letting the Borg girl walk around now? Guess Her Lunar Majesty said she was ok?" Matt asked.

"She did," Alex said simply.

"That is the second time you've referred to Miss Asher as 'Borg', I'm not familiar with the term. Is it something from your world? Does it explain why your initial reaction was to want to kill her?" Trace asked Matt.

"I confess to being curious about that myself. So far I haven't seen anything about Miss Eleanor that merits such an extreme reaction," Dr. Emerald added.

"Mind if I field this one? Being as I'm the borg in question?" I asked since I figured it was best to get this out of the way before everybody was calling me Borg Girl. Seeing no objection I continued to my explanation.

"Given that Matt and Alex likely come from the same world as I did, or one very close, they probably grew up with the same stories. When our technology reached a certain point we began thinking up scenarios where it turned against us," I started.

"One of the versions of this fear sprang from the idea that we might start replacing parts of ourselves with machines that operated more efficiently or otherwise in a fashion superior to the original parts. From there the idea was that having that kind of enhancement might make one less human, as their personality becomes more machine-like as more of the body was replaced. Or that some machine intelligence might take control of humans by making such modifications to them. A popular show had a race called the Borg, they'd replaced most of their bodies and their minds were a mechanized hive mind. And they took people of other races and converted them into more Borg," I continued.

"I don't look quite like they did, but I'm close enough that I see the concern," I added.

"As it is I know that I'll become less human as time goes by. Maybe four or five hundred years down the line. I'll be all efficient and logical. And I have to make sure when the time comes my goals are things that work with that mindset and won't harm anybody... anypony if I'm here that long, " I concluded, trying to keep my composure, and failing at the end.

After that we shared a somewhat somber walk through Fillydelphia to the train station. The city looked nice enough, though ponies seemed to vanish as we came down the street. The sunny sky was a contrast to my mood. I would have preferred a leaden overcast sky or even some rain. Nothing vanishes quite so well as tears in the rain.

Soon enough we were at the train station, the first stop on my way to Ponyville...

Next Chapter: Chapter 3: Journeys Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 38 Minutes